Reaching that healthy weight
Dear Donovan,
I am 35 years old and five feet four inches tall. I weigh 170 pounds. I eat everything, but I also exercise twice per week. I am not losing weight, just maintaining, but I know I am overweight. What is a healthy weight for me and how can I achieve this? Exercise is not my problem, it is dieting.
At a height of five feet four inches and a weight of 170 pounds I definitely agree with you that you need to lose some weight. The easiest thing for me would be to tell you to check your BMI (body mass index) to see your ideal weight for height; however, I must tell you I’m not a fan of BMI charts. The BMI charts only take your height and weight into consideration. I believe that these, and some other factors, including your bone structure, age, body type, and even how your body distributes fat, should also be taken into consideration when thinking about what your weight should be.
That said, I think 135 to 140 pounds should work for you, though it is not about the absolute weight but how you are looking at that weight.
I think you are at a plateau with your weight, meaning you are neither losing nor gaining weight. This would suggest that your food/calorie intake is roughly the same as the calories you are burning to keep you alive and carry you through your daily activities. In a way humans tend to be creatures of habit, so it is very likely that what you are eating, how much you eat, and also your exercise programme might tend to remain the same on a weekly basis. In order to lose weight you would have to make changes to your food intake, your exercise programme, or both.
Your calorie intake will have to be reduced so that the body will be forced to use up some of its stored fat. You are eating everything, so it is really important that you try and make your diet healthier. It would be good for you to incorporate fruits, vegetables, vegetable juices, and whole grains in your diet, instead of white rice, white flour, fried foods, pastries, sodas, etc.
That said, you need to be more committed to your weight loss programme. In the first two weeks you could remove white flour, white bread and white rice from your diet and replace them with ground provisions and vegetables. At some meal times you could also cut your regular meal portion into two and have half. In addition, you could also increase the number of exercise days to three or four — this will help burn off more calories.
Following these suggestions will definitely help to reduce your calorie intake and help with weight loss. But I must point out that, over time, both your diet and exercise programme will need adjusting. Good luck!
We will answer your weight-related questions
Are you struggling to lose weight or just need some advice on living a healthier life? Tell us about your health issues and we’ll have nutritionist and wellness coach Donovan Grant answer them for you. Grant has over 12 years’ experience in the fitness industry and is the owner of DG’s Nutrition and Wellness Centre, 39 Lady Musgrave Road. Call him at 876-286-1363. E-mail questions to clarkep@jamaicaobserver.com.
